By: Tracie Carter
Authorities in Bergen County have arrested a 21-year-old Township of Washington man following a months-long investigation into suspected online sexual exploitation involving minors.
According to information released by Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, Val S. Tetro was taken into custody Friday, October 23, 2026, in Paramus and charged with third-degree possession of sexually explicit images of minors.
Prosecutors said the investigation began on March 11, 2026, when detectives assigned to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit identified Tetro during an ongoing investigation into online exploitation involving minors.
Authorities subsequently obtained court authorization to search Tetro’s electronic devices.
Investigators allege that Tetro viewed, saved, downloaded, or possessed material depicting nude or sexually explicit images of prepubescent and pubescent minors.
Following his arrest, Tetro was transported to the Bergen County Jail, where he was held pending his first court appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.
The investigation was conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Jeff Angermeyer.